


Celebrating Halloween

by featherlight221b



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Gen, Halloween, Hurt/Comfort, Post Secret Endings, Post-Canon, Saeran Needs A Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-01
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-14 07:24:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16488251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/featherlight221b/pseuds/featherlight221b
Summary: A short Halloween one-shot.





	Celebrating Halloween

Saeran never celebrated Halloween during his time at Magenta. It wasn’t very common amongst the believers, he didn’t have the time for it, he rarely even remembered things like that. There used to be this one girl at Mint Eye who would bring him ice-cream on every holiday, but she got arrested three years ago and went to prison. Saeran wasn’t sure what for, but he heard rumors that it was for murder. No one brought him sweets on Halloween since then. He himself didn’t go around asking for it, why would he? And he especially didn’t feel like getting into some colorful costume. It was just like Rika had told him – why would he dress up as a monster when he was already one? _You haven’t found salvation yet, so you mustn’t indulge in trivial things like that_ , she used to say. _And when you finally reach the salvation, you won’t feel the need to pretend to be someone you’re not_.

So he was a bit startled when Saeyoung swung the door to their shared bedroom open, walking in with two massive bags, one seemingly filled with some snacks, and the other one with some clothing. He put the first one on the floor and threw the latter onto Saeran’s bed.

“What’s this?” asked Saeran.

“This is Halloween!” the other exclaimed cheerily. “We’re going trick-or-treating as soon as it gets dark. Then we’re having a horror movie marathon. That’s what the snacks are for, and yes, of course I bought Halloween-themed-flavored ice-cream for you.”

Saeran really wanted to ask what exactly ‘Halloween-themed-flavored ice-cream’ was supposed to mean, but his brain focused on another part of what the other red-head just said.

“We’re going _what_?” he asked.

Saeyoung walked over to his bed and plump down on it, laying his head on Saeran’s pillow and his feet in the boy’s lap. Saeran frowned, mildly annoyed.

“Trick-or-treating is a tradition. A great one, at that,” said Saeyoung in a solemn voice. “You pester strangers until they’re fed up with you and agree to give you sweets. Otherwise, you torment them by – “

“I know what trick-or-treating is, idiot,” Saeran cut him off. “But why the hell would I do it?”

Saeyoung sighed in fake exasperation.

“My young padawan – “

“We’re the same age.”

“ – I see that you know nothing about tradition. It would also be a blasphemy to let my money go to waste after I already bought us costumes.”

Saeran glanced at the bag filled with clothing. He couldn’t get a very good glance inside, but he saw pink. He was pretty sure whatever it was, it wasn’t going to match with their red hair. If his hair was still white and pink, then maybe. But now it was going to look hideous.

“What costumes?” he asked, fearing the answer.

Saeyoung grinned, sitting up.

“I’m going as Sayori from _Doki Doki Literature Club_. I bought a Natsuki costume for you, but you can choose to go as Monika, since Yoosung told me that my ‘jokes about him being a yandere aren’t funny’ and that he’s going as a warrior from LOLOL, so we have a spare costume,” he said.

Saeran frowned.

“Well, I don’t wanna dress up at all,” he said. “I’ve never even played _Doki Doki Literature Club_. It says very clearly that people suffering from either depression or social anxiety shouldn’t play it. And my mental health isn’t exactly good, in case you’ve forgotten,” he said.

Saeyoung was quiet for a moment.

“So…” he spoke up eventually. “Natsuki or Monika?”

Saeran glared at him.

“To be honest, you should be Natsuki,” Saeyoung continued. “Originally Yoosung was going to be Monika and I already established with MC that she’s Yuri this Halloween. So if everyone stuck to the plan, it would be perfect! The yandere dressing up as a yandere, the tsundere as a tsundere – “

“I’m not a tsundere,” Saeran cut him off.

“Sure you aren’t,” Saeyoung snorted. “At least look at those costumes though.”

Hesitantly, Saeran picked up the bag and emptied it, letting the clothes spill on the bed. The student uniforms were pretty cute and the wigs were well-made, he had to admit that. But still.

“I’m not wearing a skirt,” he said firmly.

“Aw, come _on_!” Saeyoung whined.

“No. It’s ridiculous and I don’t want to catch a cold,” Saeran insisted.

“But it’s _Halloween_! The Great Halloween Spirit will be furious with us if we don’t celebrate it, and it’ll condemn us forever!”

“Saeyoung, you’re Catholic.”

“True,” Saeyoung admitted. “But there’s still no reason _not_ to go trick-or-treating.”

There was. Actually, there _were_ _reasons_. As in, plural. So many reasons as to why it was a bad idea. They would only make fools of themselves, no one would even want to give them sweets, they’d probably bump into some creeps, it was probably really cold outside, there was also probably a lot of people going trick-or-treating. Too many.

Before he could voice any of his thoughts out loud, Saeyoung pulled him into a hug. Saeran tensed up at first, before relaxing slowly.

“Look, if you really don’t want to go, we don’t have to,” said Saeyoung quietly. “I can text MC and Yoosung that we won’t be able to make it. But I really think that you would have fun if you only let yourself have it.”

Saeran didn’t say anything for a while. Wasn’t sure how to start. How to explain. Maybe Saeyoung was able to know what he felt like, but he couldn’t read his thoughts. Saeran had to speak.

“Dressing up for Halloween reminds me of her,” he whispered eventually.

Saeyoung pulled away, his eyes wide and upset.

“Why…?” he asked hesitantly.

Saeran looked down at his feet.

“It’s just… the Savio – I mean, Rika. Rika always told me that I shouldn’t dress up for Halloween because it would be ridiculous. A monster wearing a monster costume.”

Something flashed in Saeyoung’s eyes. Perhaps anger. Perhaps hatred and feeling of betrayal.

“You’re not a monster,” he said firmly.

“Saeyoung, I – “

“ _You’re not_ ,” he insisted.

“Sayoung, I _killed_ a person. _I killed the person who raised you_ ,” Saeran shot back.

“You didn’t mean to. You had been being brainwashed for _years_. It was an accident,” Saeyoung protested.

“I was going to kill you too.”

“But you _didn’t_. You _couldn’t_.”

Saeran realized that there were tears welling up in his eyes. He tried to blink them away.

“I also don’t think I’d be able to go trick-or-treating with Yoosung when _her_ words keep ringing in my head,” he admitted quietly.

“Oh.”

There was a moment of silence. Saeyoung probably didn’t know what to say, and it was no surprise. After all, Saeran _shouldn’t_ feel like this. It was awful to think that Yoosung reminded him of Rika, those two were nothing alike. It was unfair to the harmless blonde game addict. Who also happened to be Saeyoung’s best friend. Without whom the boy surely wouldn’t want to celebrate Halloween.

“Then how about we just stick to the horror movie night? I rented _Cabin In The Woods_ and _Train to Busan_. You haven’t seen those, have you?”

Saeran shook his head.

“No. I only caught up with the Disney movies and _Star Wars_ ,” he said.

“Good. Give me minute to text the others and grab my laptop. You open the snacks,” Saeyoung told him.

A few minutes later they were cuddled up under a blanket; one bowl of Honey Buddha Chips and one bowl of popcorn between. Saeyoung also bought gummy bears and bat-shaped chocolates, which they decided to save for the second movie. And, of course, Saeran got his ice-cream, which turned out to be pumpkin flavored. It was surprisingly good.

As Saeyoung went to the settings to switch the Korean subtitles on, Saeran’s phone buzzed. He got two unread messages.

The first one was from MC. _Heard from Saeyoung that you’re not feeling up to trick-or-treating this year :( Yoosung and I miss you guys! It’s fine though, we hope you two have fun!_

Saeran typed back a quick _Thanks_.

The second text was from Yoosung. _Happy Halloween, Saeran!!! So sad you can’t come TT! But I get that celebrating Halloween might be a bit overwhelming for you! We should totally do something next year if you feel better though!!!_

_Sure_ , he replied, snorting at the amount of exclamation marks used by Yoosung.

Saeyoung glanced at him curiously.

“Who’s that?” he asked as the movie started playing.

“MC and Yoosung messaged me,” Saeran explained.

Saeyoung smiled.

“They really care for you, you know?” he asked.

Saeran knew. He didn’t understand, not at all, but he knew. That even despite the fact that he was the hacker who attacked the RFA messenger, they still accepted him. Even though he used to be a threat to them, even though he had wanted to destroy them in the past, even though he had attempted to kidnap MC to drag her into a cult… despite all that, they still treated him like one of them.

“Yeah,” he nodded. “I’d like to celebrate Halloween with them one day. Just not today.”

“No problem,” said Saeyoung. “Happy Halloween, Saeran.”

“You too.”


End file.
